GMO Genetically Modified – For better or Worse?

GMO Genetically Modified Organisms chat with Lauire Cohen Peters who is the director of communications at IRT (Institute for Responsible Technology). She knows pretty much all there is to know about the most up to date info on GMO’s.

GMO WHAT = They changed the genetic make-up (DNA not ‘war paint’) (DNA) in a way that does not occur naturally.

GMO WHY = to survive herbicides – i.e so they can spray as much herbicide as possible on the land and the plants will survive.

GMO WHERE = More than 70% of packaged foods in North America contain GMOs.

GMO – Genetically Modified Organisms

GMO or genetically modified organisms are a hot topic of health and sustainability right now. Especially the labeling of GMO’s – Unless you know the right questions to ask and ingredients to look for, it’s tricky to know what’s GMO and to choose the Non-GMO. I’m heading to high tech foodie event Bite Silicon Valley this weekend in Santa Clara this weekend to find out even more…

It’s hard to know who to trust and which studies on GMO are legit but there are a few important things to consider:

– Why have Monsanto and the other GMO companies been so secretive about GMOs? If they had been open about the labeling in the first place then this fuss would be much less intense.

– Man-made Trans fats were introduced into food as a means of giving foods a longer shelf life. They were not initially labeled. Then, when we found out that trans fats were causing illness and disease in humans (heart related mainly) they were forced to be labeled. GMO’s are following that pattern in many ways.

– The long term effects in humans of taking genes from an octopus and putting it into a potato, for example are known.

– Biotech companies (Monsanto, Bayer, BASF, Syngenta, Dow Chemical Company) own the crops and pitch their products to be the saviors of humanity.

– Neil Young just released and album called ‘The Monsanto Years’ and is going on tour against Monsanto and GMO. He is bringing awareness.

– Bono of the band U2 is pro-GMO$ and pro Monsanto.

Do you want GMO crop in the UK?

Imported GMO foods and GMO feed for animals is already all over the UK. Organic meats will not be from animals fed GMO.

This is the British newspaper the Guardian reporting on Birth Defects in Hawaii and GMO:
“When the spraying is underway and the wind blows downhill from the fields to the town – a time no spraying should occur – residents complain of stinging eyes, headaches and vomiting.”

The people of Hungary burned Monsanto’s crop when they tried to grow there.
Dr Huber and Dr Mercola discussing GMO:
“It’s important to realize that glyphosate is not “just” a herbicide. As explained by Dr. Huber, it was first patented as a mineral chelator. It immobilizes nutrients, so they’re not physiologically available for your body.”
You may have the mineral [in the plant], but if it’s chelated with glyphosate, it’s not going to be available physiologically for you to use, so you’re just eating a piece of gravel,” Dr. Huber says.

“Despite what the media and so-called “experts” proclaim, there are NO peer-reviewed scientific papers establishing the safety of GMO crops.
According to Dr. Huber, so far, no one has been able to establish that there’s a safety factor to either the genetically engineered proteins (i.e. the foreign proteins produced by the genetically modified plant) or the chemicals we’re consuming in ever larger quantities as a result of the genetic engineering process.
There are, however, both clinical and peer-reviewed scientific papers showing the hazards of GMO crops, including harmful secondary effects.”

“You can’t really discuss genetic engineering without also addressing the chemicals these plants are engineered to tolerate. About 85 percent of all genetically engineered plants are herbicide-tolerant—designed to tolerate very high levels of herbicides, glyphosate in particular. These are the so-called Roundup Ready crops.
It’s important to realize that glyphosate is not “just” an herbicide. As explained by Dr. Huber, it was first patented as a mineral chelator. It immobilizes nutrients, so they’re not physiologically available for your body.
“You may have the mineral [in the plant], but if it’s chelated with glyphosate, it’s not going to be available physiologically for you to use, so you’re just eating a piece of gravel,” Dr. Huber says.